Cornus plant named ‘Cato’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Cornus  plant named ‘Cato’, characterized by its low mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance; leaves becoming rich yellow in color during the autumn; and yellow to red-colored stems.

Botanical designation: Cornus sanguinea.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Cato’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Cornus, grown as an ornamental shrub, botanically known as Cornus sanguinea and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Cato’.

The new Cornus is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Zundert, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new Cornus cultivars with improved growth habit and coloration.

The new Cornus originated from an open-pollination made during 1997 of the Cornus sanguinea cultivar Winter Flame, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Cornus sanguinea. The new Cornus was discovered and selected by the Inventor from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Zundert, The Netherlands in 1998.

Asexual reproduction of the new Cornus by softwood cuttings in a controlled environment in Zundert, The Netherlands since 1999, has shown that the unique features of this new Cornus are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Cato has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Cato’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Cato’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Cornus:

-   -   1. Low mounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance.     -   3. Leaves becoming rich yellow in color during the autumn.     -   4. Yellow to red-colored stems.

Plants of the new Cornus differ from plants of the female parent, the cultivar Winter Flame, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Cornus are shorter and more mounded than         plants of the cultivar Winter Flame.     -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Cornus develop more intense and         attractive autumn coloration than leaves of plants of the         cultivar Winter Flame.

Plants of the new Cornus can also be compared to plants of the cultivar Anne's Orange, not patented. Plants of the new Cornus differ from plants of the cultivar Anne's Orange in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Cornus are shorter than plants of the         cultivar Anne's Orange.     -   2. Plants of the new Cornus are more outwardly spreading than         and not as upright as plants of the cultivar Anne's Orange.     -   3. Plants of the new Cornus have smaller leaves than plants of         the cultivar Anne's Orange.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Cornus, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Cornus.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Cato’ grown during the summer in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Anne's Orange’ (left) and ‘Cato’ (right) grown during the early autumn in an outdoor nursery.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in Grand Haven, Mich., under commercial practice in an outdoor nursery. Plants had been growing for about three years when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Cornus sanguinea cultivar Cato. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Cornus sanguinea cultivar Winter             Flame, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen parent.—Unknown selection of Cornus             sanguinea, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By softwood cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 20 days at 24° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About three months at             24° C.         -   Root description.—Fine to thick; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/habit.—Low mounding subshrub; outwardly spreading             form. Freely branching habit, about 62 lateral branches per             plant; dense and bushy appearance. Moderately vigorous             growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 85 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 2 meters.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 58 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Internode length: About 5.6 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: Towards the base, 12C; towards the apex,             45C. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 9.2 cm.         -   Width.—About 5.5 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Obtuse.         -   Margin.—Entire; undulate.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully developed leaves, upper surface:             144A; venation, 144A. During the autumn, color becoming             closer to 12C. Developing and fully developed leaves, lower             surface: 144A; venation, 157A.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 1.7 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: 157A. -   Flower description: Flower initiation and development has not been     observed on plants of the new Cornus. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Cornus have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Cornus. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Cornus have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from about −26° C. to about 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct Cornus plant named ‘Cato’ as illustrated and described. 